Vehicle fender assembly including a charge port assembly

Abstract

A vehicle fender assembly includes a fender including a body having an outer surface and an inner surface opposite the outer surface. The body defines a body opening. A stiffener is mounted to the body inner surface and is located at the body opening. The stiffener includes stiffener holes sized to receive associated fasteners. A charge port assembly includes a bracket mounted to the stiffener. The bracket includes bracket holes sized to receive the associated fasteners. The bracket holes are over-sized relative to the associated fasteners to allow for positional movement of the charge port assembly on the associated fasteners relative to the body opening. The stiffener includes at least one stiffener locating feature and the bracket includes at least one bracket locating feature adapted to mate with the at least one stiffener feature to ensure proper placement of the bracket on the stiffener relative to the body opening.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A fender assembly for a vehicle comprising:
 a fender including a body having an outer surface and an inner surface opposite the outer surface, the body defines a body opening; 
 a stiffener mounted to the inner surface of the body and located at the body opening, the stiffener includes stiffener holes sized to receive associated fasteners; and 
 a charge port assembly including a bracket mounted to the stiffener, the bracket includes bracket holes sized to receive the associated fasteners, wherein the bracket holes are over-sized relative to the associated fasteners to allow for positional movement of the charge port assembly on the associated fasteners relative to the body opening, 
 wherein the stiffener includes at least one stiffener locating feature and the bracket includes at least one bracket locating feature adapted to mate with the at least one stiffener locating feature to ensure proper placement of the bracket on the stiffener relative to the body opening, 
 wherein the at least one stiffener locating feature includes first and second stiffener locating features and the at least one bracket locating feature includes corresponding first and second bracket locating features adapted to mate with the respective first and second stiffener locating features, 
 wherein at least one of the first stiffener locating feature and the second stiffener locating feature is defined by a rib, and the corresponding one of the first bracket locating feature and the second bracket locating feature is defined by a slot sized to receive the rib. 
 
     
     
       2. The fender assembly of  claim 1 , wherein stiffener includes a first side portion, a second side portion opposite the first side portion, a first end portion, and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, the stiffener includes a stiffener opening aligned with the body opening, the first stiffener locating feature provided along the first side portion and the second stiffener locating feature provided along the second side portion. 
     
     
       3. The fender assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the bracket includes a bracket opening aligned with the stiffener opening. 
     
     
       4. The fender assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the bracket includes a base wall and an outer sidewall extended along a periphery of the base wall, the base wall includes the bracket opening, a first flange and a second flange opposite the first flange are provided along the outer sidewall, the first flange and the second flange extended along the respective first side portion and second side portion of the stiffener, the first bracket locating feature located on the first flange and the second bracket locating feature located on the second flange. 
     
     
       5. The fender assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the first stiffener locating feature is defined by a first rib and the second stiffener locating feature is defined by a second rib, and the first bracket locating feature is defined by a first slot sized to receive the first rib and the second bracket locating feature is defined by a second slot sized to receive the second rib. 
     
     
       6. The fender assembly of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one stiffener locating feature includes a third stiffener locating feature provided along the first end portion of the stiffener, and the at least one bracket stiffener includes a third bracket locating feature adapted to mate with the third stiffener locating feature. 
     
     
       7. The fender assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the third stiffener locating feature is oriented substantially perpendicular to the first and second stiffener locating features. 
     
     
       8. The fender assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the third stiffener locating feature is defined by a rib, and the third bracket locating feature is defined by a slot sized to receive the rib. 
     
     
       9. The fender assembly of  claim 6 , wherein the bracket includes a component flange adapted to mount an associated component of the charge port assembly, and the third bracket locating feature is located on the component flange. 
     
     
       10. The fender assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the stiffener includes an inner surface defining the stiffener opening, the inner surface extended from the stiffener via an alignment flange, the alignment flange received in the body opening to align the stiffener opening with the body opening. 
     
     
       11. The fender assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the first stiffener locating feature is extended in a first direction on the stiffener and the second stiffener locating feature is extended in a second direction on the stiffener which is oriented substantially perpendicular to the first direction. 
     
     
       12. A fender assembly for a vehicle comprising:
 a fender including a body having an outer surface and an inner surface opposite the outer surface, the body defines a body opening; 
 a stiffener mounted to the inner surface of the body and located at the body opening, the stiffener includes a first side portion, a second side portion opposite the first side portion, a first end portion, and a second end portion opposite the first end portion, the stiffener includes a stiffener opening aligned with the body opening; and 
 a charge port assembly including a bracket mounted to the stiffener, the bracket includes a base wall and an outer sidewall extended along a periphery of the base wall, the base wall includes a bracket opening aligned with the stiffener opening, 
 wherein the stiffener includes first and second stiffener locating features and the bracket includes corresponding first and second bracket locating features adapted to mate with the first and second stiffener locating features, the first stiffener locating feature extended in a first direction on the stiffener and the second stiffener locating feature extended in a second differing direction on the stiffener to provide two directional locators on the fender assembly to ensure proper placement of the bracket on the stiffener relative to the body opening, 
 wherein the stiffener includes an inner surface defining the stiffener opening, the inner surface extended from the stiffener via an alignment flange, the alignment flange received in the body opening to align the stiffener opening with the body opening. 
 
     
     
       13. The fender assembly of  claim 12 , wherein the first stiffener locating feature is provided along the first side portion and the second stiffener locating feature is provided along the first end portion. 
     
     
       14. The fender assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the first stiffener locating feature is defined by a first rib and the second stiffener locating feature is defined by a second rib, and the first bracket locating feature is defined by a first slot sized to receive the first rib and the second bracket locating feature is defined by a second slot sized to receive the second rib. 
     
     
       15. The fender assembly of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of the first stiffener locating feature and the second stiffener locating feature is substantially wedge shaped for engaging an inner surface of the bracket defining a corresponding one of the first bracket locating feature and the second bracket locating feature. 
     
     
       16. The fender assembly of  claim 13 , wherein the stiffener includes stiffener holes and the bracket includes bracket holes, each of the stiffener and bracket holes sized to receive associated fasteners, wherein the bracket holes are over-sized relative to the associated fasteners to allow for positional movement of the charge port assembly on the associated fasteners relative to the body opening.